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Obituary for Laura Marie MacDowell

Laura MacDowell was born on April 20, 1927 in Mossup, Connecticut to Ernest and Marie LeBeau, and passed away peacefully into eternal life on March 4, 2018.
Laura grew up with 5 siblings and was nicknamed “pumpkin” when her brother dared her to eat a live pumpkin fish, and we all know Laura never passed up a dare! As a child, she loved to be outdoors gardening with her father starting at the early age of 4 and has continued with that love of gardening for more than 85 years. She married her love, Chester MacDowell, on February 7, 1944 and together they raised 4 children (1 biological and 3 adopted). They were married for 69 years! From 1952 to 1958 Chester and Laura owned a spudnut shop in Vancouver, Washington. Together they worked providing homemade spudnuts and sandwiches for the community. In 1963, they moved to Las Vegas, NV where Chester continued working for the U.S. Post Office as a supervisor. Laura proudly worked for the Clark County School District in various schools for 21 years where she baked homemade cinnamon /orange rolls for the school district.
Laura’s heart and passion was to always help those in need. Every year she planted her vegetables and when it was time to harvest she had enough to share! She and her daughter, Tami would deliver bags full of organic vegetables to the homeless shelter in downtown Reno. Her faith and love for God always allowed her to find something daily to be thankful for! In the words of the great Rev. Billy Graham, one of Laura’s favorite pastors, “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.” Laura lived and breathed this and she would want you to know that she simply changed her address but she hopes you can all come by to visit someday! She’ll be waiting with her ever-quick witted humor and contagious smile!
She was preceded in death by her parents and 3 siblings, husband Chester E MacDowell, daughter Melody A Loyd, and son Richard MacDowell. Laura is survived by her brothers, Earnest LeBeau (Arlene) of Danielson, Connecticut and Arthur LeBeau of Canterbury, Connecticut, her daughter, Tami (Richard) Dethmers of Reno, NV and her son, George MacDowell of Overland Park, Kansas. She also received much love from her 20 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and 5 great- great-grandchildren. She truly enjoyed her yearly visit with her niece Linda of Newport, Rhode Island and they loved planting the garden together.
There will be a service to celebrate her life at South Reno Baptist, located at 6780 S McCarran Blvd, Reno NV 89509 on March 15th. A viewing will be at 9 to 9:45 am with the service starting at 10am. Immediately following the service we would love for you to join us for a reception lunch. Interment will be at the Veterans Cemetery in Fernley, NV at 1:30 pm. Arrangements are being handled by Walton’s Funeral Home.
A very special thank you to the Northern Nevada Medical Hospital, Kindred Hospice and Stone Valley! You ALL honored her life journey in a beautiful way, Thank you so much!